


ignis fatuus

by comebaekhome



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fantasy, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-09 15:59:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11107941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comebaekhome/pseuds/comebaekhome
Summary: Stuck in his monochromatic life, Chanyeol yearns to recapture lost childhood fantasies.The EXOplanet may have all the answers he's looking for.





	1. Prologue

November 15th, 2016  
supermoon  


The subway train came to life under his feet, speeding forward as he held onto a rail to keep himself steady. It was almost silent, save for the occasional shuffling when someone tried to readjust their bag and a series of taps as children clicked their shoes together. 

There was something about the white noise that made him feel a little less alone but made him feel more lonely than ever. 

He exhaled softly as he dug around the pockets of his dress pants, fishing out his phone to try to distract himself on the early morning commute. He absentmindedly scrolled through his emails, most of them coming from work, answering those he had not already. He could almost feel the intrigued stare of a young child sitting across from where he stood, hand held tightly onto her mother's as she watched him. 

He could see the mother lean in to whisper something into her daughter's ear with a smile, eliciting a small giggle from the small girl as she kicked her legs out in glee. She looked over at the tall man with a smile, almost as if she was inviting him to join in on her fun. She couldn't have been any older than 10, seeming so small on the seat with the larger hand in her own.

He smiled wistfully. He could barely remember when his own mother had done the same with him on the weekend subway rides as they took trips to the grocery store.

He missed the days when he could just be a child. 

 

The train slowed to a stop, the mother shaking her hand to get her daughter's attention as they got off. The small girl jumped off the seat, sending the man one more smile before she left the cart. 

 

 

  



	2. When the Night Darkens

  November 29th, 2016  
new moon

 

Park Chanyeol had one motto in his life. 

Work to survive, survive to work. 

He lived a life that seemed dull to most, but the man tried to unconcern himself with the offhanded comments he got from most of his acquaintances. 

His childhood required he mature quickly, the loss of his father creating difficult situations for him and his family. Without a ‘proper childhood’, as most put it, Chanyeol often felt as if he was missing on on something inherently human. 

His days meant for childish innocence and undiluted silliness were long gone, though they had still made a home for themselves in him, hidden under the walls that Chanyeol had built for them, the colour slowly draining from his life as he suppressed the parts of him that longed to flourish. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The EXOplanet was the city's best-kept secret, the high-class club meant only for an exclusive few. Its location was undisclosed, rumour having it that the club held something within, something so amazing that it had to be hidden from the public eye. 

Word spread across the cubicles of Chanyeol's office, arousing the curiosity of the tall man as he sat up straight, peering over at his coworkers over the tops of the walls separating them. His office mates were known for their loud whispers during work hours whenever their supervisor left for periods of time, gossiping about everything they could. Chanyeol usually made it a note to tune these people out, with most of their conversations consisting of workplace affairs and who they thought was the worst dressed in the company (though he had never heard a specific name, their occasional glances to his cubicle during these conversations gave Chanyeol the feeling they were talking about him). 

But this- this was different. 

The man kept his eyes focused on the computer before him, fingers typing in code slowly as he strained his ears to hear the conversation of his peers from a few cubicles away. 

"Only certain people can enter and the apparently they stopped letting new people in years ago." 

One of them sighed disappointedly. "Aw man, I've been trying to get in for months now."

Another scoffed. "As if! That place is so exclusive, I hear not even the biggest idol groups can even get in!" 

The voices ceased the minute the head of their tall manager came into view, Chanyeol deflating a bit as he brought his undivided attention back to his screen, waiting for the supervisor to pass before he leant back in his seat, letting out a soft exhale. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While most lived for the weekend, Chanyeol dreaded its appearance in the week. 

He stuck to the same schedule each day, waking up before the sun rose to prepare himself for the day, going to work for a majority of his week to return to his empty apartment for a small meal- typically something he could prepare quickly and without hassle- to fall asleep a while after the sun had set. 

Without a day of work to fill his time or anyone he could truly call a friend, his weekends were spent alone. 

He hadn't many errands to run, with most of his meals being instant and the laundry being done as quickly as a call to his dry cleaner took. He rarely spent enough time lounging around his apartment to have anything to clean, not even a stack of books needing to be aligned. 

It's this Saturday that Chanyeol finishes his morning routine as the sunlight filters into his apartment, the open space quiet enough to hear a pin drop. He exhaled softly, stretching his tired limbs as he stalked across the spotless apartment to his kitchen, boiling water on the stovetop as the wall clock in his living room ticked away at the seconds. 

He walked around his living space aimlessly as he waited, turning on his television as he sat on his couch. He flipped through the channels mindlessly, mostly trying to find something to fill the deafening silence of his apartment. Settling on the news channel, Chanyeol rose from his seat as he heard the kettle whistle, sifting through his cabinets and taking out a package of his regular tea. 

Chanyeol lifted the kettle carefully, slowly filling his mug with the water before slowly submerging his tea bag in, lifting it up and down as he listened to the newscaster. 

_"In other news, reports of the city's infamous club, the EXOplanet, has everyone stunned as the establishment had disappeared from where it was last seen."_

Chanyeol furrowed his brow as he takes a tentative sip of his tea, walking back around to his couch.

_"Not much is known about the elusive club, but we have multiple tips that were sent in early this morning after clubgoers found the establishment missing from its normal location, found again hours later across the city. More as this story develops."_

The man sighed, reaching for the remote to turn the television off. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next Monday finds his coworkers in an excited chatter, loud enough for Chanyeol to hear without effort from his place meters away. 

"Can you believe that the club just moved like that? What's going on?"

"They must be hiding something away in there, they'd have no other reason to uproot like that."

"No one even knows if they're hiding anything. For all we know, this might just be a publicity thing." 

"But I don't even think it's possible to move locations like that, how are they doing it?" 

"For all we know, they could just be hiding away a crack den or something." 

The man rolled his eyes, focusing back on his computer screen when he deemed their conversation pointless to listen to. 

 

But a part of him couldn't help but wonder what was happening with the EXOplanet. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The work week passes by in a flash, Friday coming before Chanyeol even realises it. He trudges back to his apartment as the sun starts to set, greeting the security guard at the desk as he was let in. He stretched out his back as his fingers fumbled for his keys, finding his mailbox amongst the many in the front lobby and pulling out the stack inside. 

He sifted through the letters as he rode the elevator up to his floor. 

 _Bill, bill, bill, letter from his mother, bill, coupons for the pizza place across the street, bill..._  

Chanyeol inserted the keys to his apartment, shouldering the door open as his eyes landed on an unmarked letter on the stack. He flipped the letter over, it's back only displaying his name written in intricate calligraphy. 

He furrowed his brow as he dug his thumb under the sealed flap, ripping the paper open as he threw the rest of the letters onto his kitchen island. The light of the day was slowly fading, but there was still enough light in his apartment to illuminate the single golden slip inside with the words ' _ADMIT ONE_ -  _EXOplanet'_  written on it in bold lettering. His hand was shaking, heart racing as he turned it around in his hand, it's reflective surface shining in the soft light of the setting sun. 

He searched the rest of the envelope for answers, only finding a small slip of paper with an address and the words  _'we'll be waiting'_ on it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There wasn't much Chanyeol could remember before he stumbled onto these streets. 

 

The buildings were tall, towering over him threateningly, their exteriors grey and dark. The streets were crowded with unfamiliar faces, each hidden under the cover of dark umbrellas as the clouds overhead poured and poured their sorrows out. Chanyeol was nearly soaked to the bone, his clothes clinging to his skin, sending chills down the tall man's spine. The crowd growled lowly with their thundering footsteps against the hard concrete below them, car horns squealing dully as the vehicles tried to get past. 

The city streets that he once knew like the back of his hand became alien, himself feeling like a foreigner to what he's known his whole life.

He had the slip of paper in his hand, golden ticket stowed safely in his pocket. The paper was getting wrecked in the rain, the address barely readable at this point. Chanyeol craned his neck around the streets, looking something, anything to lead him in the correct direction. 

He was a lost soul amongst many, his voice unheard, blended into the footsteps of the crowd and the pattering of the raindrops on the ground, every sound he made fading into the moment. He wandered around aimlessly, without a single being to acknowledge his existence. He didn't bother trying to get anyone's attention to ask for directions, he knew it was pointless. 

Running a hand through his wet hair, he sighed, belatedly wondering if this was just some prank one of his coworkers had pulled on him when he saw something. 

It was so subtle that he almost didn't notice it, had it not been for the dream-like glow it seemed to take on. The alleyway was dark, for the most part, a small sign lit up above a large steel door, a large man stood in front with his arms crossed. Chanyeol gulped, inching into the alley with his hand wrapped around the ticket, feeling incredibly small before the man. 

The man glared down at him, Chanyeol producing the ticket from his pocket. The bouncer took it from his hand, inspecting it under the dim glow of the light situated directly above before huffing and opening the door for him. He gave him a small nod of acknowledgement before ducking into the club, warmth enveloping him from the moment he stepped in, the chill of the outside all but gone. 

The foyer was dark, flickering lights lining the walls, the giant soon finding himself wondering if he had made the right decision in coming. There was something akin to smoke surrounding him, stinging his eyes and suffocating him as he took his tentative steps forward. 

A deep bass rumbled throughout the area, the tall man feeling it in his chest as he reached the end of the foyer, colourful flashing lights peering through the sheer fabric of a curtain before him. He reached out, parting the fabric as he stuck his head in. The club was more spacious than he would have thought, a moderately sized crowd gathered in the middle of the room. Smaller groups hung out by a long bar stretching across the length of another wall, their collective laughter still audible over the sound of the music. The room was dimly lit, a large light fixture above the crowd colouring the everything a deep shade of turquoise, occasional streaks of red coming from a revolving strobe light. 

Chanyeol took a small step back, unsure of whether he should enter. This environment was unlike anything he had seen before- the dull grey he's known his whole life suddenly sprung to life in the form of vibrant colours and the rings of laughter coming from inside.

He stood awkwardly before the scene, too intrigued to leave, too unsure to join. 

He soon felt hands wrap around his arm, the man coming face to face with a smiling stranger leading him to the dance floor. She was pretty, hair fell messily around her, streaks of colour finding their way all over her head, her clothes, her everything. With a glance around the club, he finds many sporting this look, Chanyeol sticking out like a sore thumb in his unembellished attire. 

She held him close, hands holding onto his forearms for dear life as she leant close to him. She smiled coyly as she whispered something unintelligible into his ear, breath ghosting over the shell. She moved his arms back and forth in an awkward attempt to get him to follow her movements to the music, the tall man moving almost robotically as he's led to the centre of the floor, stood in the middle of the large crowd as people around him slowly gathered to his side, coaxing him into joining in on their fun. 

Never known for his gracefulness, the giant found himself moving his long limbs awkwardly, earning himself supportive cheers from the strangers around him. He smiled at the encouragement, his inhibitions slowly leaving him as their cheers grew louder. He laughed, aware of how stiff his movements must have appear to any onlooker, but continued moving nonetheless, letting the music wash over him as he allowed himself to have fun for the first time in years. 

It wasn't difficult for him to join in on their fun, finding their mood infectious as he let out a few awkward laughs as he followed the rhythm with inelegant movements to the cheers of the crowd around him. 

 

 

He stays in the club until daybreak, leaving, albeit begrudgingly when he spared his wristwatch a quick glance. 

The practical side of him knew that going back would ultimately be for the better, especially after a sleepless night. The crowd around him let out disappointed whines as they tried to get their new friend to stay, Chanyeol forcing himself to leave the club no matter how much he wanted to stay. 

As he arrived back to his apartment and settled into bed, he couldn't help but feel empty at the lack of colour in his life. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol ventures out in search of the club the next day, every trace of its existence gone from the alleyway it was the night before. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Why do you think the club keeps disappearing?"

"Maybe it's to keep people like you out," someone joked, eliciting a few laughs from the group. 

"I heard it's because they let in someone new."

Someone huffed. "Yeah right. You know they're not letting anyone new in. Even if they were letting new people in, do you think they'd move like this just for them?"

The lone man set his lips in a thin line, leaning back in his office chair. He couldn't shake the thoughts of the EXOplanet out of his head and his coworker's consistent blabber about it wasn't helping. He had been trying to focus on his work all day, attempting to keep his mind off of the club. He failed every time. There was something about it that just kept drawing his thoughts back. 

He realises belatedly how dull his life had been until he had first entered the club. His desk, his clothes, his apartment, everything to him was grey. 

He felt an inherent yearning to experience the colours, the life again. 

He wants to go back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's when he arrives back in his apartment complex with the day's mail in his hand that he smiles more genuinely than he has in a while. 

What lies in his hand is another ticket to the EXOplanet, dated for that same day accompanied by another note with a new address and the words 'c _are to join us again?'_  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol returns to the club on a weekly basis, checking his mailbox the minute he gets back from work and immediately running out when he held the familiar envelope in his hands. 

They don't come every day, sporadically appearing in his mailbox throughout the week at random.

He doesn't question it. He doesn't care to. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol leaned back in his office chair as he let out a small huff. The time didn't seem to pass as quickly as it used to, minutes of staring at his computer screen now feeling like hours where they used to pass him by without his realising. His fingers twitched over the keyboard. He was itching to go back again. 

There was something about the EXOplanet that kept calling him, something that brought out the child in him that he was forced to repress for so long. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of all the days he had received his ticket to the club, this day felt different somehow. 

He didn't think much of the silver ticket he had received in lieu of the usual gold one, handing it to the bouncer as he normally would. The taller man looked at Chanyeol, holding the ticket out for the man to take back. 

"Behind the bar," he spoke, voice gruff. Never having spoken to the bouncer, Chanyeol was slightly taken aback, taking a moment to collect himself and take the ticket back. "Enjoy yourself tonight." 

The giant bowed slightly, awkwardly entering the door as he stared down at his ticket. He hadn't noticed when he had first taken the slip out of the envelope, but as he walked down the foyer, the flickering lights were enough to make out the words ' _ADMIT ONE- SOMNIUM'._

He set his lips in a line, pushing the sheer curtain out of his way before he located the bar. He wasn't sure how he had previously missed the pack of security guards surrounding the door near the bar, gulping as he inched towards them sheepishly. They weren't much taller than him, some not even matching Chanyeol in height, but they managed to make the giant feel small under their gaze. He held the ticket out for them to take, the men eyeing each other before parting down the middle, leaving a path for Chanyeol. 

With hesitant steps, the man walks forward, hand pressed against the cool metal of the door. He spares the club a quick glance, taking a deep breath in as he pushes the door open, unsure of what was awaiting him on the other side. 

 


	3. I'll Bring You A Dream

December 2nd, 2016  
first quarter

 

It's bright, wherever he is. 

He can barely open his eyes with the rush of light to his senses, Chanyeol immediately blocking it out with his arm pressed against his forehead. It takes several moments before his eyes can adjust, his eyes opening to the sight of a beautiful blue sky overhead, clouds drifting in and out lazily.

Chanyeol takes a small step back in confusion. It was night by the time he had arrived at the club and he couldn't remember staying long enough for the sun to rise. Even then, this sight was nothing like the concrete jungle he had spent his life in. 

Trees loomed over his figure with colourful flowers littered around the base of each one. Every bright colour was alight with a soft glow, a sight so dreamy that it brought comfort to the tall boy. There was something warming to the sight of it all, a feeling so nice that Chanyeol decided he never wanted it to stop. 

He smiled as the wind brushed past him, making music with the leaves and the grass around him. He smiled, all fear of the foreign land disappearing in an instant. 

"Enjoyin' yourself there?" a voice spoke behind him, causing the tall boy to jump. Chanyeol whipped around, eyes meeting those of an unknown boy before him. The boy was shorter than he was (though that didn't mean much, considering most were shorter than him) with defined features and a sharp jawline. His dark eyes were lined in colour, small splotches of hues all blending together. He smiled, corners of his mouth perking up as he cocked his head. His hair moved softly with the movement, a nest of soft brown atop his head. 

Chanyeol didn't move, staring at the boy before him without a word. 

"Man o' few words, I see," the boy spoke in a lazy drawl. "I get it, most people that come 'ere are a lil' disoriented when they show up. Gets better with time." 

"Who are you?" 

"I guess you could call me your guide 'round here. The name's Chen," the boy reached out his hand good-naturedly for the other to take.

"Chanyeol.," he responded, taking the hand in his own. "What do you mean you're my guide? Where am I?" 

Chen retracted his hand as he pursed his lips, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet with a wide grin. "I guess now 'ould be the proper time to welcome you to the Somnium." 

"The... What?"

Chen smiled, hands stuffed in the pockets of his pants, walking forward with exaggerated strides. Chanyeol kept pace with him, following Chen with unsure steps. "The Somnium. It finds the lost and lets them 'scape their lives. It's another world- a  _better_  world," Chen stretched his arms above his head. "Everyone is here for a reason. Maybe you'll find out why you're here soon. C'mon, let's get goin'. There's a lot you'll wanna see 'round here," he said as he strolled into the forest lining the field.

The shorter slowed as they ventured further, navigating the path carefully, turning his head every so often to ensure the other hadn't gotten himself lost. The trees were taller than any Chanyeol had ever seen before, dwarfing the giant as he craned his neck to see the foliage above. The forest was duller in colour the deeper they went. There was something strange about the forest, something the tall boy couldn't place. 

"C'mon, you'll have time t'gawk at the scenery later. We needa go," Chen called from up ahead, Chanyeol not even realising he had stopped walking. He started forward slowly, eyes still taking in the sight around him. He let out a soft exhale as he stepped towards another tree, hand grazing the rough bark of its trunk. There was something inexplicable about the forest- it drew him in, drowning out every other thought, every other sound except for the steady beat of a sound so familiar yet so foreign to his ears. 

"Chanyeol, we gotta get movin'," Chen called, snapping the boy out of his reverie as he reluctantly withdrew his hand and ran to catch up with the shorter. 

They soon reached the edge of the woods, Chen guiding the giant out of the densely packed forest and into the town nearby. Its buildings stood tall and the area bustled with life. Every passing townsperson greeted the two as the came about, arms often full with pails of water or buckets of fruits that Chanyeol didn't recognise. Chen grabbed his hand, leading him through the throng of people offering him some of whatever they were holding, the giant politely declining as he was dragged around, the two eventually stopping before a large home.

Chen knocked rhythmically on the door, waiting for a few minutes before the door swung open and Chanyeol was ushered inside. The house was spacious and cozy, Chanyeol's vision limited to the large living room before him. It was a bright space, a few armchairs lining an unlit fireplace. 

"Found the newbie!" Chen called, Chanyeol feeling hands grab onto him and turn him around. He had to look down before he could see the boy before him, cat-like features watching him curiously. His eyes perked up at the ends, lined in bright colours similar to Chen. There was a glint in the boy's eyes, a small smile playing on his lips as he watched Chanyeol.

"How peculiar. It's been quite a while since we've seen a new face in town. Is this the one the King spoke of?" the small boy inquired, a small lilt in his tone. 

Chen hummed as he sat himself down on one of the chairs. "You bet,"

The small boy nodded slowly before extending his hand for the taller to take. "My name is Xiumin." the small boy said, eyes watching him intently. 

"Chanyeol." he replied, taking the small hand in his own to shake. 

"Please, take a seat," Xiumin said as he guided Chanyeol further into the living room, seating him across from Chen who was leaning back leisurely into the chair. "I think you'll really like it here." the boy said, busying himself by aligning already straightened books on the table and dusting spotless areas. 

"Xiu," Chen said, halting the boy's actions. 

"Ah, sorry, I'm doing it again, aren't I?" the small boy said, straightening himself and patting his hands against his thighs. "I'm just a little flustered is all. I'm never really in the presence of people who are so... Important to the King." Xiumin said carefully, a reluctant smile on his face. 

"What do you mean 'important to the king'? Who's the king?" Chanyeol asked. 

Xiumin looked down, averting Chanyeol's gaze. They sit in a silence for a few moments. "You ask too many questions." Chen deadpanned. 

"Don't be rude now, Chen. He is our guest, after all," Xiumin said, raising his head to scold the other boy. "I apologize for him. He can be a little..."

Chanyeol smiled awkwardly, rubbing the nape of his neck. "It's okay, really... I would just really like some answers is all." 

"You'll get answers to everything once you meet the King," he said. "He's... He's a kind man, you have nothing to fear." Xiumin said quietly. "Quite a number of the people around here are actually quite taken with him," Xiumin added with a small grin. "He visits the town quite often. You'll meet him when the celebrations start."

"Celebrations?" 

"Happens every night. People 'round here love celebrations. Been a while since someone new's come along too, so I can only 'magine how crazy things oughtta get." Chen said.

"Why for me?" 

Chen rose from his seat, stretching. "We don't see a lotta new faces 'round here and these people love a good time." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The streets of the town seemed much more animated than what Chanyeol previously remembered if it were even possible. The vibrant streets somehow became more so, the people bustling around excitedly as the tall boy tried to make sense of the situation. 

"It might be a few more minutes before everything is ready. They've been preparing a concert near here," Xiumin said as he waved to a few passing townspeople. "Everyone has been so excited to meet you." 

The short boy took his hand, guiding him through the large streets filled with the bustle of life, every crevice exploding in colour and beauty. Everyone Chanyeol saw seemed to have their eyes lined in a wide spectrum of hues, something that brought an inexplicable smile to Chanyeol's face. It was all so beautiful, so lively, so different from anything the boy had known before. 

He barely noticed as the small boy grabbed his arm, slowing the giant to a stop. The number buildings around them had slowly dwindled down, streets leading to an outdoor amphitheatre Chanyeol hadn't noticed before. It was lined with stone coloured a deep red, all the way from where they stood atop the sloping hill to the bottom, where the stage was. The gaps between rows were filled with grass, meant to serve as seats in the outdoor area. The stage is a circular platform with a large stone background, a backstage area not visible to the audience. He doesn't have much time to take the sight in, not with a pair of hands pressed against his back.

"C'mon, ya got long legs, put 'em to use," Chen said as he pushed the giant forward, forcing him down the steps. The fast paced footsteps of someone from a distance away, followed by a stern yell stopped them both in their tracks.

"Chen!" a smaller boy shouted, marching up to the pair. "How many times have I told you not to be rude to our guests?"

"Apparently not enough times," he said with a smirk, shoving his hands in his pockets. The small boy spared him a glare before taking a deep breath and turning to face Chanyeol, a small smile plastered on his face. He was short, like most of the people Chanyeol has seen so far, eyes were lined with a darker set of colours, blonde hair styled atop his head.  

"I apologise, I haven't formally introduced myself. My name is Suho." 

"Chanyeol."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Suho said pleasantly before taking the giant's hand in his own. "I'm sorry if Chen has been bothering you- he has a tendency to do that. You can just follow me, we can get seated," he said, leading them to an unoccupied row of seats nearby. 

"Where's the King?" Xiumin asked, fingers fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Suho huffed. 

"He was with me a while ago, but told me he had some last-minute business to attend to and ran off right before I saw you guys," Suho sighed. "I don't know what's going on in his head sometimes." 

"Give him a break, will ya? Can't blame him for wantin' to run off when all ya do is coop him up in the castle all day,"  Chen bit back defensively. 

"I don't coop him up all day! He has responsibilities that he needs to attend to, and-" 

Chen rolled his eyes. "Calm down, will ya? Can't expect him to work all the time." 

The giant watched in interest as the pair bickered, turning over to Xiumin, still fiddling with his shirt quietly. "Who's the King everyone keeps talking about?" he asked the small boy. Xiumin stayed silent for a few moments, seemingly enraptured with his task.

"He's the founder and ruler of the Somnium. He... can be unpredictable sometimes, but... He's... He's a good ruler. He cares a lot for his people," Xiumin spoke slowly, almost cautiously. "He was probably supposed to meet you here, but I guess something came up," The giant nodded in understanding. He opened his mouth to ask more questions, only to have the chatter of the crowd silence in a moment, signalling the beginning of the show. 

The performances at the amphitheatre consist of various musical acts, from soft melodies to bass heavy music, shaking the very seat that Chanyeol was on. The sheer grandeur of the performances was amazing, the boy watching with wide eyes and a racing heart. 

He remembers a time when music was what he lived for, a time when he would spend hours on end in his room, either practising chords on his father's old beat-up guitar or playing notes from his small keyboard to perfection. It's been years since he's last held a guitar in his hands, felt the gentle spring of piano keys under his fingers. He wants to experience it all again. 

He smiled widely as the performances consumed his senses, all melding seamlessly together as if they were one. He could tell that the end was nearing when he spared a glance upwards to the dimming sky, the previously bright blue sky now melting into warm reds and oranges as the sun began to set. The cheers of the crowd were quieting, drawing his attention back to the stage as the slow, soft keys of the piano were heard, sending chills down his spine. 

There was a boy on stage, glowing ethereally as he hunched over a grand white piano. His hair was bright under the intense stage lights, his frame so small compared to the instrument he was arched over. The boy's hands flitted about the keys, his soft melodious voice soon filling the space, demanding the attention of the crowd. 

Lyrics of a love long lost, chords dripping with the raw emotion of the performer- It was beautiful. Everything about it was beautiful to Chanyeol. His voice, his presence, his music, his everything. He seemed so small on stage, his body swaying gently with the music as he sang.

Chanyeol's heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest. The boy was absolutely mesmerising. 

The boy's performance ended too quickly for the giant's liking, Chanyeol blinking in confusion as the crowd erupted into a standing ovation, too invested in the boy's presence to notice his performance had ended. 

He stayed seated as the boys around him stretched out their limbs, ready to leave the amphitheatre. 

"Ya gonna stay there forever?" Chen asked, brow raised as he and the others began to walk up the steps. Chanyeol rose to his feet. 

"I'll be right back..." he muttered as he walked down the steps, beginning slowly but quickening his pace as he got closer to the bottom. He slipped into the backstage area, finding a slew of performers all waving to the new face as he walked by. He didn't pay them much heed, his thoughts only on the boy with the piano. 

Chanyeol had to weave through the crowd of people before he finds the boy sitting on an old wooden stool, speaking with another person. He was even more beautiful up close, a beauty unlike anything he had ever seen. For a moment, the unnamed boy lets out a soft laugh, the sound drawing Chanyeol closer and closer. It takes a few moments before the boy realises the giant is there, turning his head to flash him a smile. 

"I-I loved your performance," Chanyeol stuttered out. The boy chuckled. 

"Thanks. I'm glad you to hear that," he replied as he stood, closing the distance between the two. The unnamed boy had soft almond eyes lined with kohl, its edges a soft burgundy, his hair an ashy blonde mop atop his head. Chanyeol gulped. 

"I'm Chanyeol." 

"Baekhyun." 

"You uh... You play t-the piano very well," he stuttered out, mentally slapping himself for sounding so nervous. 

Baekhyun only chuckled. "You're too kind to me. I'm out of practice. That's the first time I've touched a piano in months."

"Months? That's better than I could play in years!"

"You play the piano too?"

"Barely," he said with a chuckle. "Haven't so much as  _looked_  at a piano in a decade."

"Maybe you can come by and practice with me if you have the time," Baekhyun offered, a wide smile on his face. The giant nodded excitedly. 

"Yes! I mean- um, if you wouldn't mind, that is." 

This earned the giant another soft chuckle. "Come with me," he said, holding the boy's wrist with his slender fingers, leading him out to the stage where the piano still stood. By then, the amphitheatre had already emptied considerably, leaving a few stray audience members and the pair on the stage. Baekhyun sat the giant down on the small piano bench, taking a seat next to him so that their sides were glued together. 

Baekhyun raised a hand onto the keyboard with the giant following suit. The sheet music for his song still sat proudly on the ledge, Baekhyun straightening out as he hit the first note.

"Follow my lead?" 

Chanyeol nodded. 

They play together all into the night, tentative melodies echoing across the amphitheatre, completely rid of its viewers from earlier. Chanyeol winced as his finger slipped, hitting the wrong note, eliciting a small chuckle from the small boy next to him. The laughter grew louder as he hit another and another and another, slapping the piano more than he was playing it. Baekhyun's laughter only grew louder until Chanyeol found himself joining along, their melody still as sweet as ever. 

"You really weren't kidding about that whole 'out of practice' thing." 

"Shut up," he manages between chuckles, bumping his side into the smaller boy's. Baekhyun sways exaggeratedly to the other side, still grinning ear to ear.

"Hey, it's not  _my_  fault you suck at this." 

"I'm only telling you this in confidence, so you'd better not tell anyone."

Baekhyun guffawed. "Like they wouldn't be able to tell after listening to you playing." 

Their childish grins never left their faces as the night wore on. The light faded from the sky until there was nothing more than the pair under the soft lights of the amphitheatre stage.

Conversation with the smaller boy flowed much more easily and naturally than it had with most people the giant spoke to. There was something about Baekhyun that made Chanyeol feel at ease. 

He stretched out his long limbs, letting out a long yawn as he felt his sleeplessness begin to catch up with him. 

"Tired?" Baekhyun asked, already standing and walking to the taller's side of the bench. He offered the taller a hand. "Come on, let's head over to the town. We can bring you back to Chen's." 

Chanyeol nodded sleepily as he gave the small boy his hand, hoisting himself up from the bench. The walk to Chen's home seemed a lot shorter than it had felt when they had walked to the amphitheatre, appearing at the doorstep within a matter of minutes. He knocked on the door before holding the giant's hand in his own.

"I really enjoyed my time with you, Yeol," Baekhyun said softly as Xiumin opened the door, eyes widening in surprise before smiling awkwardly. Baekhyun hands the giant off to the small boy, letting Xiumin lead him back inside. "Come back soon to visit me, okay?" Baekhyun called after the giant. 

Chanyeol nodded with a smile as Xiumin led him into one of the bedrooms, letting him settle into the beds as he drifted off into his slumber. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Chanyeol wakes again, he's swathed in the grey sheets of his bed with nothing more than a silver ticket on his bedside table and an inherent sense of longing as he thinks about Baekhyun. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No more letters come in the mail, no more tickets come his way. 

He rushes home day after day, whipping his mailbox open in hopes of finding another unmarked letter waiting for him. Still, none come. 

A part of him is left wondering if the Somnium was just a dream he had, though the silver slip that remained unmoved from his bedside would tell him otherwise. He'd often considered returning to the EXOplanet only to deflate as he remembered the club's constantly changing location. 

He hung his head as he slouched in his office chair, lines of code filling his vision. He found his thoughts drifting more often than not, oftentimes to the smaller boy he had met in the Somnium. He smiles unconsciously as Baekhyun invades his thoughts, tapping his fingers absentmindedly on the table to a nonexistent beat. 

Chanyeol takes his leave from work earlier that day, tapping his foot impatiently in the quiet subway cart in desperation to get home sooner. He entered his apartment in a hurry, quickly opening his closet door to find several boxes filled with miscellaneous things he had deemed unnecessary to put in his apartment. 

His face split into a wide grin as he pulled out an old acoustic guitar from the bottom of the box, covered in dust from years of neglect. He ran a finger across the strings, each letting out a low hum as they vibrated under the gentle touch of his fingertips. He sat back on his bed, resting the crook of the guitar atop his thigh as he ran his hand across the neck of the instrument. 

Holding the guitar in his hand brought back distant memories of his first lessons with his father, the elder positioning small fingers over the frets as the other hand would be strumming the strings. 

He lacked the talent he once had, lacked the life that came from the pieces Baekhyun had played. The music he made wasn't nearly as sweet as the tune of the piano but he enjoyed himself nonetheless. 

 

Still, there was something about it all that made him feel a little empty on the inside. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He practices as the days go on without any new tickets to keep him entertained, spending whatever free time he had strumming experimentally as the hours flew by. 

He couldn't find fulfilment in the things he used to anymore.

He wanted to laugh at himself. One visit to the Somnium, and suddenly his entire personality changes. But still, he couldn't stop the wistful sigh from escaping his lips when he slouched against his couch, head hung back.

It had only been about a week and a half since he had received his last letter, but even then it felt like an eternity to him. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When he finds another unmarked letter in his mailbox, he doesn't even bother closing its door before he ran out of the lobby of his apartment. 

 

He runs and he runs straight to the newest location, only a block or two away from his home. It was hidden in a cramped alleyway between two skyscrapers, the giant needed to walk on an angle to fit in. The bouncer, already well acquainted to the giant's face, opened the door with a small smile that Chanyeol didn't bother returning as he ran straight through the foyer and past the wall of beads cascading from the ceiling. 

Long strides take him to the back of the bar, where another bouncer only smirks before he opens the door for the giant. Chanyeol pays him no heed. He has no time to. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The light is blinding. He winces a bit at the change in lighting before his eyes adjust and he's back in the same area he was when Chen had first found him. 

"Back so soon?" the lazy drawl called from nearby. "Figured you'd be comin' 'round sooner or later. Guess ya couldn't resist my charmin' good looks, eh?" he joked, chuckling as he walked closer to Chanyeol. "Well, c'mon, no use in standin' here. Let's get goin'," Chen said as he strolled back in the direction of the town, throwing a knowing smile over his shoulder. "I hear Baek's been waitin' for ya." 

Chanyeol grinned widely for a moment before his face began to heat up at the look Chen was giving him, the giant soon opting to keep his gaze down and follow the shorter. 

"You should hear him when you're not around," he says as he laced his fingers at the back of his head. "It's all Chanyeol-this 'n Chanyeol-that. I'd say ya might have yourself a lil' crush there. From the looks of it, the feelin' seems to be mutual," he adds with a whistle. 

The tall boy remained silent. 

"Ah, is lil' Yeollie shy? Baek doesn't bite, ya know. You'll be fine," he said with a chuckle as they made their way through the forest once more. Chen takes the taller's large hand in his own as they walk down the worn path, whistling a tune as he takes each step forward. Chanyeol looks up at him in confusion as he felt fingers snaking between his own. 

"Just a precaution. Don't want ya getting lost in the woods n' all." 

He gave the shorter an unsure look but chose not to question it. They reach the same village soon, with Chen letting go of the giant's hand as they reached the front door of his home. Knocking rhythmically as he had the first time, the door swung open revealing a timid Xiumin with his hands wrapped around the side of the hardwood, knuckles turning white. 

He whispered something to Chen, causing the other to light up and enter the house without another word, Chanyeol following soon after. He could hear a melodious laugh coming from the living room, a laugh so unmistakable that it almost made the boy's heart stop.

"Baek!" Chen called excitedly as he sat himself down on the armchair across from the one Baekhyun lounged in. "What're ya doin' here?" 

The boy smiled. "I thought I'd swing by and say hi to my favourite idiot." 

"Does Suho know?" 

Baekhyun scoffed. "You think I'd be here if Suho knew?" he asked, eliciting a laugh from Chen. 

Xiumin cleared his throat quietly as the pair's conversation had reached a lull, causing the pair to turn their heads.

"Chanyeol," Baekhyun said with a wide smile. Chen took this as a cue to leave the room, lacing his arm in Xiumin's as they excused themselves to the kitchen. 

"Hi," the giant said awkwardly, inwardly slapping himself. 

"Do you wanna get out of here for a bit?" Baekhyun asked as he rose from his seat. "Get some fresh air?" 

Chanyeol nodded dumbly, following the small boy out the front door. 

"It took you a while to come back... I almost thought you weren't coming back, for a bit," Baekhyun said quietly as they walked the town's streets. "I got a little nervous, but I'm happy to see you again."

"I'm happy to see you," Chanyeol blurted out. The small boy looked at him with wider eyes and a shy smile. They walk side by side with their fingers grazing each other's with every step of the way. Their conversation flowed comfortably as they continued through the town, their walk soon leading them back to the amphitheatre at the edge of the town.

"I don't suppose you've improved on your piano skills since we last saw each other?" 

"Oh, god no. I haven't touched another piano since the last time I was here."

"I don't suppose you play any other instruments?"

"I've actually been trying to pick up the guitar again. It's been a long time since I've played, but I'm still pretty rusty."

"If your rusty piano skills are indicative of anything, I'm scared to see how this guitar thing'll come out," Baekhyun said with a laugh. 

"I wasn't  _that_  bad!" the giant said. "If anything, I think I at least play better than you." 

"I'll take that bet," the shorter said as he strode down the stairs of the amphitheatre, leading the taller back onto the stage they spent their time on last. Baekhyun disappeared momentarily behind the stage, emerging moments later with a guitar, it's wooden body polished and shining in the sunlight. He handed it to the taller as he sat on the front seats of the area.

"Here you go. Now serenade me, lover boy," he mused with a smile and a quiet chuckle. Chanyeol returned the gesture as he positioned the strap of the instrument around his neck, hands placed firmly on the frets. 

He strummed awkwardly, half expecting the notes to come out as strangled and choppy as they had in his bedroom, only to hear a melodious tune coming from his hands. He looked down in amazement, feeling more like the guitar was playing him than anything. Baekhyun smiled as he swayed along to the music, softly vocalising in rhythm with Chanyeol's playing.

Their harmony was the most beautiful thing Chanyeol had heard in his life. With every he string touched, with every note Baekhyun sang- it felt like bursts of colour were dancing around him. There was something about the way Baekhyun interacted with music that made everything beautiful. 

The giant's fingers lost their hold on the strings disrupting the flow of music until he stopped altogether.

"Not bad. Maybe with a bit more practice, you can get  _half_  as good as me," Baekhyun said with a wink. Chanyeol smiled.

"Has anyone told you that you're incredibly cocky?" 

"Can't help it, I was born like this. Diva since the beginning of time, Byun Baekhyun at your service."

Chanyeol rolled his eyes, taking the strap off from around his body, handing the instrument back to the smaller.

"Keep it," he said as he leant back on the amphitheatre steps. "We have loads backstage. No one will miss it." 

"I can't-"

"Consider it a gift from me to you," the smaller said as he sprung to his feet, pushing the guitar closer towards the giant's body. "A welcoming gift." 

Chanyeol set his lips in a line, holding the instrument in his hands weakly. "I don't know..."

"How about I let you have it on the condition you practice on it? Maybe then you can serenade me, properly, lover boy," Baekhyun said as he took the strap and secured it around the taller's torso. He lightly pried the taller's hands off where they held on to the guitar, rotating it until it rested against his back. Without missing a beat, he smiled, slipping his slender hand into Chanyeol's calloused one.

"Come on, let's keep going." 

 

 

 

They continue on for a while, strolling through the town as Baekhyun swung their intertwined hands. Despite himself, Chanyeol blushed, his heart thumping against his chest every time Baekhyun would look up at him with that dazzling smile. He could hear the smaller's hums during the lulls of their conversation, the sound making the giant's heart flutter more. They continued in silence for a few moments, the white noise of the town consuming the air around them. 

"Byun Baekhyun!" a shrill voice called, making the giant jump. Baekhyun visibly deflated as he and the giant turned to face wherever it came from. The taller looked in confusion as he saw a fuming Suho behind them. 

"You called?" he said, voice sickly sweet.

"What in the  _world_ is wrong with you?  _'I have some errands to run'_?" Suho said in a high pitched voice, meant to mock Baekhyun. "You had duties to attend to! Visiting your friends and taking little walks in the town aren't included in your duties!"

"Calm down, Gramps. Nothing bad happened after all." 

Suho scoffed. "You're  _lucky_  nothing bad happened! You have an important role to play for the Somnium, you can't just go running around because you feel like it!"

Baekhyun sighed. "Do you think you could yell at me when we're back home? I'm kinda in the middle of something right now."

"This is not behaviour befitting for someone of your title!"

"Suho..." Baekhyun began, resting his free hand comfortingly on the boy's shoulder. "I promise I'll come back home when I'm done and you can yell at me all you want when we're back, okay? Stop stressing so much, it's not good for your health." 

The boy took a deep breath, his tense posture already relaxing slightly. "I know, I know."

"Go find Kris, we can meet back home in a few hours, alright?" Baekhyun smiled. "Try not to yell at him so much, yeah?" 

Suho rolled his eyes. "Like he minds," he said, a smile playing on his lips. 

"I guess I'll see you at home, then?"

The other boy smiled with a nod before making his way down the path, disappearing behind the bend in search of another. 

"That's the calmest I've seen him since I came here," Chanyeol commented as Baekhyun tugged on his hand, moving him forward. "How'd you do that?"

Baekhyun smiled down at the ground. "I've known Suho for a long time now. He gets stressed out too easily, but that's mostly because of the demands of his job. It's not like Chen and I make it any easier for him anyways," he said with a chuckle. "Xiumin is the only thing that makes hanging out with us bearable for him," he smiled wistfully. "There was a time when he wasn't so stressed and uptight all the time- hell none of us were, but those days are long gone. Sometimes I just wish I could have them back, you know? The days when we didn't have to worry about anything and we could just be the carefree idiots we are." 

Chanyeol's heart panged against his chest as he nodded. "I know exactly how you feel. I was forced to grow up too fast and now I'm just trying to chase down the things that make me feel like a child again. I wanna just let go of all my stress sometimes and stop being an adult."

Baekhyun smiled. "It's nice having someone on the same page, huh?" he squeezed the giant's hand who responded with a wide smile and another enthusiastic nod. "I feel like I never have anyone that gets me like that, y'know? I can always share my happiness with my friends, but never so much with struggles. I'm happy I can share both with you," Baekhyun continued, head down. They continued down the street, still without a clear destination in mind. The pair wander aimlessly, Baekhyun's presence alone bringing a smile to the giant's face.

He can't remember a time he had clicked so well with another person. It seemed almost as though he had this unspoken connection with the smaller boy from the moment he had first laid eyes on him. 

He didn't think it was possible for a place as beautiful as the Somnium, but once he had met Baekhyun, it's almost like the colours, the life, the beauty- like it had all multiplied in the span of a few seconds. Everything around him seemed to glow a bit brighter, everyone around him seemed to be happier, everything that existed became almost as beautiful as Baekhyun was. 

Everything about it seemed so ethereal, so dreamlike. 

If this were truly a dream, Chanyeol never wanted to wake up from it. 


	4. And as the Night Ends

December 13th, 2016  
full moon

 

The Somnium soon felt more like home than anywhere else did. 

He'd spend more time there than he would in his reality, oftentimes missing workdays and meetings in favour of meeting Baekhyun in the town. They would often stroll around the area, hands intertwined as Baekhyun taught him more about his world.

"This place has been around for a really long time. Not much changes around here, so everything is basically the same as it was when it first started. I think it gets a little stale sometimes. This place could use an extreme makeover." Baekhyun said as they strolled down the streets. It seemed as though there was always something new in the town, unexplored areas popping up every time he arrived. 

"Maybe you can talk to this King I keep hearing about," Chanyeol said. "Maybe he can help fix things up."

Baekhyun laughed. "I'm afraid he can't change these things."

"What makes you so sure?"

"He's tried before. Stuff got in the way, I guess."

The giant nodded in understanding. "So..." Chanyeol began, Baekhyun humming as a sign for him to continue. "Who is this King anyways? I was supposed to meet him on my first night here with Suho but he didn't show up."

The smaller sighed. "It's a bit of a long story," the boy said, taking in a small breath. Chanyeol shrugged, the shorter taking it as a sign to continue. 

"Once upon a time, there was an ordinary little boy with big dreams and a love for music. His life was stressful, so he wanted to create a place where people could let go of their stress and live happily without burdens. So one day, he and his three friends make plans to set out for a new land to make these dreams come true. Together, they created a new land where everyone was happy. 

"His first friend and the most responsible oversaw all the operations of the land. His second and closest friend lived in the town to welcome newcomers and ensure the people were happy. His third and smartest friend kept everything organised and made sure everything ran smoothly.

"Everything in the land worked well and everyone was happy. Everyone except for that ordinary little boy. His friends took notice and tried to get him to smile again. As their gift to him, they created an amphitheatre at the edge of their town for him to express himself musically. 

"It was at his first musical performance in this amphitheatre that they publicly crowned him King in front of the townspeople. Things seemed to run smoothly for the time being afterwards, but the King soon realised something.

"His second and third friend had strong feelings for one another and became romantically involved, opting to spend most of their time together. His first friend made sure he stayed home to rule over the land responsibly but had even found love with a guardsman at the castle. So the King was left alone in solitude, without anyone at his side. 

"So one day, the King decided to open the doors to his kingdom even wider, trying to fill the void in his heart, but to no avail. He left his home for the first time in a while to rekindle his love for music at the old amphitheatre he hadn't seen in months. He had an impromptu performance during a musical festival and was later approached by a tall boy who was sweeter, kinder, and better looking than anyone he had ever met.

"He was instantly taken with the tall stranger and hoped to see him more and more. He felt happier and happier the more the tall boy visited, and the void in his heart was slowly but surely filled. And now, he lives for the days he can spend happily with his giant."

Baekhyun said, squeezing onto Chanyeol's hand as he finished. 

The taller smiled down at him. "Am I  _that_  good looking to you?" he asked cheekily. 

"I said it was a story, I didn't say it was a story about me. Don't get ahead of yourself, giant."

The giant rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, _King_ Baek. Now I know you're  _madly_  in love with me."

Baekhyun looked up, glaring in mock anger as he stomped his foot indignantly. Chanyeol could feel his heart beat out of his chest at the adorable gesture, sweeping down to lay a soft peck on the smaller's cheek, halting the shorter's actions as a blush spread across his cheeks.

 

"I just thought you should know that the feeling is mutual." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun, Baekhyun, Baekhyun. 

The name fills all of his thoughts, both in and out of the Somnium. 

Hours Chanyeol used to spend writing line after line of code on his old desktop computer became hours he would spend daydreaming about the next time he could see the smaller. Every visit seemed to tease him, the tall boy always waking in his dull apartment whenever his consciousness left the otherworld. He found it more frustrating than anything. 

The things that once satisfied him left him wanting more- the continuous clicking of keyboards throughout the quiet office, the bleak walls, the ticking of the analogue clock hung above their heads- none of it brought the same comfort it once had. He pushed himself away from the desk, chair rolling around the small space of his cubicle as he took a long look at the clock above. 

A sense of dread rolled over him as he realised he still had hours to go before he could make it home. He groaned quietly to himself, flinging his head back against his chair as he slid down slightly, just enough for his limbs to hang limply over the edges of the chair. 

He felt childish, wondering belatedly if this was how most normally felt towards work. 

Chanyeol stared the clock down, willing the hands to move faster only to have it tick as slowly as ever, the man almost feeling mocked. 

He buries his head in his hands as he sits back up, barely noticing the tell-tale clacking of his supervisor's obnoxiously loud shoes coming to a stop before the opening of his cubicle.

 

And for the first time in his life, he's yelled at by his supervisor to get back to work. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At some point, tickets become more of a formality than anything. 

Chanyeol realises this as he shows up to the back door of the bar, bodyguards already opening the door when they see the tall boy come towards them. He stops waiting for them to come to him. He knows the Somnium will accept him regardless. 

The setting of the sun begins Chanyeol's adventures into the night, the man rushing out of his cubicle the minute the clock struck 5, grabbing his bag from where it sat, leaning against his table and bolting from the building. 

It was a Friday night, giving Chanyeol the entirety of his weekend to spend with Baekhyun, and to say that he was excited was the biggest understatement one could give him. 

The club hadn't moved from it's location near the tall man's apartment in a few weeks- strange, for the EXOplanet's norm, but not something the giant was particularly complaining about. It was only a brisk five-minute walk away from his apartment. 

Doors open in front of him without a single word, the tall man pushing the beaded curtain out of his face as he strolled into the club. He made a beeline for the backdoor near the bar, only to have his arm grabbed before he could make it. 

He turned harshly, ready to wrench his arm out of the hold of the stranger, only to stop when his eyes met with the intense gaze of the stranger's. The stranger almost matched Chanyeol in height, a feat not many he met had been able to accomplish. His frame was almost completely covered by a large jacket, but it was clear that he was well built. His jawline was sharp, face stoic as he spoke in a low voice. 

"Have a drink with me." he said.

The giant's gaze flickered to the door. "I'm- uh, kinda meeting someone."

"One drink. It won't take much of your time."

"I'm gonna be late to-"

"I need to have a talk with you."

"About what? Who are you?" he asked apprehensively, yanking his arm out of the stranger's hold. To his surprise, the man lets go without much of a struggle.  

"It's about the King." 

"T-The... Baek?" he asked tentatively, attention now fully on the stranger, the latter nodding with a bitter chuckle.

"Is that what he goes by nowadays?" he asked himself quietly.

"Nowadays?" 

The stranger shook his head. "Nevermind that. Just... Be careful. The Somnium isn't what it seems," he said before walking away, leaving Chanyeol alone by the bar. The giant watches him leave in confusion before shaking the thoughts out of his head and returning to the steel doors separating him and his love. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"So, King Baek..." Chanyeol began. The smaller rolled his eyes.

"I'm not sure I'm too fond of this title."

"That's what you are, though," the giant said with a grin. "Almighty ruler of the Somnium, King Byun Baekhyun."

"I wouldn't say  _almighty."_

"You have the fame, the riches, and an ego as big as a skyscraper. If anything, I think almighty is the only thing you can be called." 

"I hardly think that's accurate. I'm not  _that_  famous here, I'm not excessively wealthy, and- well, you got me on that ego thing," he said with a cheeky grin. "I'm guilty as charged, there." 

Chanyeol chuckled. "At least you can admit it," he said as they walked down the forest path, fingers intertwined. "So, where are we going today, King Baek?"

The small boy smiled as he looked up at the giant. "We're going to my home- the castle." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The trip to the castle was a lot shorter than Chanyeol thought it would be.

Past the forest and down a long, worn dirt road sat the palace. To say it was grand would be an understatement. The building towered over Chanyeol's already large frame, taking his breath away the moment he saw it. It shone in the midday sun, rays reflecting off its crystalline surface, creating patches of colour where the rays met the ground. Baekhyun tugged at his wrist, walking him through the front doors of the palace. 

The interior had a long foyer, branching off into different halls and rooms. It was almost as beautiful as it was from the outside, stained glass windows decorating the walls between intricately woven tapestries. He tried to take it all in, even with the small boy next to him urging him forwards. Baekhyun leads Chanyeol through the halls, showing him around the building. 

Most of the rooms inside were ignored as the smaller led the giant through the winding halls, the entire place seeming like a maze to the tall boy. They stop in front of a set of large doors of solid wood, shouldering it open and gesturing the tall boy in. It lacked the grandeur of the rest of the castle had, a simple king sized bed pasted to one end of the room while a grand piano sat on the other, large window to it's side as the sheer curtains waved gracefully. A large desk was found right by the door, littered in loose sheets of paper, each marked with angry lines carved out in pencil. 

There wasn't much to see in the room, Baekhyun not bothering with the full tour before plopping face down onto the bed, sheets fanning out at the sides at the action. He patted the spot next to him in a wordless invitation for the tall boy to join him, rolling around to lie on his back when he felt the bed dip under the weight of another body. 

"This is where you live?" Chanyeol asked in the quiet of the room. "I thought you said you weren't rich."

"I said I wasn't _excessively_ wealthy," he said, earning himself a scoff fro Chanyeol. "Anyways, it's not just me living here. Suho lives here too, and so do the guards."

"Why don't Chen and Xiumin live here?"

"They used to, but Xiumin and I agreed it would be better if the two of them lived in the town. Chen's a people person, it only seems right that he'd be the one to guide the newcomers around the place. The fact that they get a lot of alone time doesn't hurt them either. I do miss having him around sometimes, though."

"What about Xiumin?"

"What  _about_  Xiumin?"

"Why did he want to move into the town?"

"Xiumin loves Chen a lot. He'd do most anything for his sake," Baekhyun said quietly, tone implying something more than what his words revealed. Chanyeol decided not to prod. "It's always made me wish I could have someone that loved me that much," he added softly, almost as an afterthought. The giant moved to lace their fingers together.

"Now you do," he replied, a small grin on his face as he turned his head to look at Baekhyun. The smaller was already gazing intently at him, mirroring a grin as he gave the giant's hand a soft squeeze.

"Now I do," 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol finds most of his time with Baekhyun being spent in the castle. Whether it was time spent wandering the halls in the most impossible game of hide and seek or time spent side by side as they made music together, the giant didn't often leave the castle. He had no reason to, not when the only thing he ever needed was there.

Baekhyun's bedroom unofficially becomes Chanyeol's too, with how much time he spends there. 

He lays on the king sized bed as Baekhyun scribbles away at some papers on the desk, experimentally strumming chords on the guitar in his hold. The small boy throws his head back after a while, groaning as he stood up from his chair.

"What's wrong?" Chanyeol asked, not looking away from the guitar.

Baekhyun pursed his lips as he sat on the bed, glueing himself onto Chanyeol's side. "Being king sucks." 

"Aw, poor little Baek." the giant said with a chuckle, holding the instrument by the neck to set it down against the wall. He wrapped his arm around the small boy. "Is the royal life too much for you to handle?"

"Shut up," Baekhyun grumbled into the fabric of Chanyeol's sweater. "You don't know what it's like to have to rule stuff around here, giant."

"Doesn't Suho help you out?"

"Yeah, but I still have to shoulder a lot of the work. I can't expect him to finish everything for me. Plus, I've been so busy with you lately that I've started falling behind on my work."

Chanyeol raised his brow, small grin still on his face. "Ah, so it's my fault now? I apologise, my King!" he said dramatically. "How dare I steal away so much time! Have me beheaded for my crimes!"

"You're the worst." Baekhyun said through a chuckle. The giant held him closer, yawning as he tucked the smaller's head under his chin. The small boy stayed quiet for a moment.

"Stay with me tonight," he said quietly. "Don't leave me." 

"You know I'd love to, but I can't help it-"

"You can. Don't leave me tonight, Chanyeol." 

"Baek-"

"I'm tired of waking up alone and going to sleep alone and being in this bed that's too big for just me. Stay with me tonight."

Chanyeol said nothing more, only nodding slowly as Baekhyun peeled the sheets off of the bed, worming his way under the covers. The giant followed suit, albeit awkwardly, wrapping his arms around the small boy, willing himself to just stay the night with Baekhyun. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Chanyeol awakens next, it's swathed in the lush blankets of the king sized bed, Baekhyun's familiar scent of sandalwood and lavender invading his senses. He smiles widely as he rolls onto his side, an ashy blonde mop of hair barely peeking out from under the sheets. 

Baekhyun wakes soon after, smiling as he nuzzled his head into the crook of Chanyeol's shoulder.

"You're still here," he said, tone almost relieved. 

"I'm still here," the giant replied, voice raspy. 

 

 

 

They spend their morning in each other's arms, Baekhyun's soft breaths ghosting over the giant's slow moving chest. He's not sure how much time passes while they lie in each other's embrace, Chanyeol's long arm snaked around the small boy's shoulders, Baekhyun's arm resting comfortably over the giant's stomach. The sunlight streamed through the curtains of the large window on the opposite side of the room, highlighting the small boy's soft features. 

He pulled the small boy closer to him, giving him a small peck on the crown of his head. Baekhyun smiled as he hoisted himself up to give the giant a peck on the cheek before sliding out of bed.

"Where are you going?" Chanyeol asked, feeling much too cold without the small boy next to him. 

"I'm afraid kingly duties call, my dear giant." 

The tall boy frowned, the smaller smiling sympathetically. He climbed back on the bed, kneeling before Chanyeol, lacing their fingers together. "You know I'd stay in bed with you all day if I could, but my people need me." 

"I know, I know," he said pulling their intertwined fingers closer to press a kiss onto the back of Baekhyun's hand. "Maybe I can go exploring through town while you work."

"If you'd like. I can get Chen over here to guide you-"

"I think I can find my way on my own," the giant chuckled. Baekhyun's grip tightened. 

"But you might get lost on the way over or get hurt and no one will be able to help you-"

Chanyeol smiled comfortingly. "I'm a grown man, Baek. I can manage."

"You might get lost-"

"I know the way- down the forest path, left at the patch of wildflowers, and straight until the brush starts to thin." 

"I don't know..."

"I'll be okay," the giant chuckled. "You trust me, don't you?"

"Of course I do, but-"

"So trust that I'll be fine," he says with a quick peck on the smaller's cheek. "I'll get going."

"Be careful, okay? There are some... bad things living out in the forest. I'll meet you tonight at the amphitheatre, okay?"

"Tonight at the amphitheatre it is." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's a strange breeze in the forest. 

The dirt path crunches under Chanyeol's feet, displacing the soil slightly with every step. His confidence in his own navigational abilities dwindled the deeper into the forest he ventured, the castle barely visible from where he stood. 

It was a strange feeling, being surrounded by trees that dwarfed the giant. They weren't like the trees he'd known growing up. Each of these trees stood firmly on trunks that were almost five times as wide as the tall boy, stretching up as tall as the eye could see. The deeper he went, the darker it got, bright sunlight hidden by the dense foliage above. 

He felt the same tugging in his chest that he had experienced the first time he had entered the woodland, drawing him further and further. He sighed, carefully following the long dirt path. He stared down at the ground before him, blinking furiously as his vision began to blur, unable to focus on the ground. He looked up slowly, suddenly aware that he had no idea where he was.

His heart beat a little faster as he wrung his hands, mentally chastising himself for not taking up Baekhyun's offer for a guide. 

Chanyeol leant against the stump of one of the trees as he tried to regain his breathing.

The soft crunching sounds from behind him made him jump, whipping his head around, arms raised defensively. 

All he could hear was the soft sounds of laboured breathing, sending chills down the giant's spine.

"Who's there?" he asked carefully, back pressed against the stump.

Silence.

"Who's there?" he asked again, louder this time.

Silence. 

The tall boy gulped, straightening himself out as he broke out into an unsteady jog, trying to relocate the path. His feet felt heavy, much too heavy to move.  His breathing became laboured, vision blurring more as he erupted into a cold sweat.

He had half a mind to worry if this was the end for him. 

Chanyeol took slow steps forward, almost tripping over his own two feet. 

He felt a set of cold fingers wrapping around his wrist, pulling him backwards, tug weak, but strong enough to right the tall boy. The feeling of the finger's sent shivers down the giant's spine, eyes flitting around in confusion as the colour around him began to fade. 

The colours, the trees, everything began to fade from his sight, leaving nothing but an empty grey wasteland meeting a blood red sky, undiscernable objects littering the surface of the ground. 

Chanyeol wrenched his arm out of the stranger's hold, turning around to see a boy not much shorter than himself wince as the forest materialised once again before his eyes. 

"Y-You- What did you do?" the giant asked in disbelief, holding his hand like it had been burned. 

The unnamed boy raised his hands to his face, staring at them for a moment as if he was scared of what he had just done. They shook as he held them up, body imitating in a constant tremor. His hair was unruly, a dark grey that matched his tattered clothing. His skin and eyes were a frightening shade of white, so white it was almost sickly, body bent over in a permanent slouch. His eyes stared off into the distance, squinting like the world was out of focus.

Chanyeol could guess he was handsome at some point, sculpted jawline and hooded eyes alluring even with his appearance. He would stand a little shorter than the giant without his slouch, would be so much more like the rest of the Somnium had he just-

"K-K-K-" he stuttered out, voice raspy. 

"What?"

The boy pointed at himself, hand shaking harder in the process. "K-K-a-ai."

"Kai? Is that your name?"

He nodded quickly. 

"What are you doing here?"

"B-Bo-Boxian." 

"What? Who's Boxian?"

"B-B-Bad..."

"What did they do to you?"

"B-Boxian..." he said quietly, lost eyes almost looking dreamily into the distance for a moment before he seemed to snap out of his reverie, shaking his head. "Boxian..." he muttered again. 

Chanyeol took a step back, apprehensive about the boy before him. 

"L-Long ti-ime here," he said slowly. "B-Boxian loved m-m-me. I l-loved him. I-I-I-" he said, clenching his eyes shut as he shook slightly. "I stayed w-with B-Boxian. B-Boxian..." Kai stopped hands shaking intensely, the boy trying to press them into his stomach to make them stop. 

"H-He... He didn't."

"He didn't what?" Chanyeol asked anxiously.

"L-Love me. H-He t-took..."

"What did he take from you?" the giant asked, inching closer in curiosity. "Maybe we can get it back." 

Kai shook his head fervently, "N-No... C-Can't get b-back. C-Can't get h-home." 

"What did Boxian do you to?"

The shorter raised a shaky hand up to his waist, slowly pulling up the loose fabric down to reveal the milky expanse of skin lying beneath. Chanyeol gasped as he saw what was there. Jet black marks were carved into his skin, swirling around each other in a web of intricate lines, standing out against Kai's sickly white skin. Each line seemed to hold its own separate scar, weaving between each other before disappearing under the rest of his clothes. 

The giant instinctively reached out to touch it, causing Kai to wince before his hand met the markings.

"I-I'm sorry," the giant said, drawing his hand back. "What happened?"

"B-Boxian t-took somet-thing from m-me." 

"What was it? What did he take?"

"M-My s-soul."

"Your... what?"

"I-I-I came to-" Kai began, suddenly freezing.

"You-"

He looked up at Chanyeol with wide eyes,  backing away as the soft sounds of crunching became audible to the giant. 

"Wait!" Chanyeol yelled as Kai bolted back into the forest, but it was too late.

The boy was already gone. 

 


	5. I'll Disappear Like Smoke

December 20th, 2016  
third quarter

 

He reaches the edge of the town without much hassle, continuing down the path before whatever scared Kai away could get to him too. 

The sun had already begun setting by the time he had left, the boy belatedly wondering exactly how much time had elapsed in the time it took him to journey from one end of the forest to the other. 

Chanyeol carded a hand through his hair as he made his way down the familiar town streets to Chen and Xiumin's home, knocking on the door. The smaller boy opened the door slightly, peering out before opening the door wider when he realised who was standing on the other side.

"Chanyeol," he said. "Where have you been? We've been expecting you for hours now."

"Ah, I got a little... sidetracked in the forest."

"Sidetracked?" Xiumin asked, eyes widening the slightest bit, hand tightening on the doorknob. "What... What sidetracked you?"

Chanyeol shrugged as the small boy ushered him quickly into the home.

"I don't know. I was walking through when I heard all these sounds and I met this boy-"

"You... You met someone in the forest?"

"Yeah? I mean, he was a little weird, and he stuttered a lot, but he kept talking about this guy- his name was Boxian, I think." 

Xiumin stopped for a moment, turning his back to the giant. 

"Xiumin? Are you okay? You look a little... pale." 

He could see the small boy take a deep breath before turning back around, a forced smile on his face.

"Yes, of course, everything is okay. Why wouldn't things be okay?"

"Xiumin, you're acting weird-"

"Don't you have to meet the King soon? You should probably get going," the small boy said, pressing his small hands on the giant's back and pushing him out of the house. "Wouldn't want to be late meeting him." 

"Do you know something I don't?" the tall man asked as the smaller began opening the front door with one hand, keeping the other pressed firmly against his back. The giant twisted away, silently cursing the small boy for being so strong. The small boy dropped his hands in defeat, eyes trained on the floor. 

"Don't tell anyone what you saw," he said quietly. "If you know what's good for you, you won't tell anyone what you saw." 

"Why not?"

"Chanyeol, it's not safe for you here." 

"I... I don't understand." 

Xiumin sighed, burying his face in his hands. 

"You need to leave the Somnium," he said quietly. "Leave and don't come back." 

"But what about you and Suho and Chen? What about..." he trailed off, but it didn't take a genius to know the name lying on the tip of his tongue. 

"Don't trust anyone here, Chanyeol. Not Suho, not the King, not anyone." 

"What about you, then? Why should I be trusting you?"

"You need to leave." 

"Xiumin-"

"Go. Meet the King. Don't tell him anything. We've never had this conversation," Xiumin says quietly opening the door with one hand, waiting for the giant to walk out. "Go on, then. Before he starts to worry." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol arrived at the amphitheatre just as the sun dipped behind the horizon, departing for the evening as the moon came in its place. Baekhyun was waiting at the bottom steps, staring out across the stage.

"I still remember the first song I sang here," Baekhyun said as the giant approached. "It feels like so long ago," he said as he got to his feet, brushing the nonexistent dust from his clothes as Chanyeol sped down the small steps to greet the shorter. "Where have you been? I got worried that you got lost in the forest or something."

"I did, for a bit," Chanyeol replied. 

"I told you I could've gotten you someone to guide you through," Baekhyun said as his hands roamed the giant's frame as if checking for any wounds. "Were you hurt? Did anything bad happen to you?"

"No, nothing bad happened, you don't need to worry, Baek." 

"You're sure you're okay?"

"As sure as I can be."

"Okay, good. Don't scare me like that, you dumbo," Baekhyun said as he laced his hand in Chanyeol's larger one. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

Chanyeol squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I'm here, and I'm okay. No need to worry, Baek," he said with a wide smile, pressing a kiss on the small boy's cheek.

"Okay, okay. Let's get going, I don't want Suho to worry." 

Baekhyun led him forward, up the steps of the amphitheatre and back onto the town's streets, still as bright as ever. Chanyeol stopped for a moment, questions bubbling up his throat. 

"Baek..." he said softly before he could stop himself. The smaller boy stopped, turning his head with a slight tilt. 

"What's wrong?"

"I..."  _Who's Boxian? Why doesn't Xiumin want me to trust you?_  "Nothing. It's nothing. Let's get going." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His hand ghosted over the spot on his arm where Kai had grabbed him, where all the colour was drained out of the world. Chanyeol shuddered, chills running down his spine as he touched the place lightly. 

"Something the matter?" Baekhyun asked. Chanyeol shook his head dismissively. 

"No..." he said quietly. "It's nothing."

"You know you're a terrible liar, right?" the small boy asked, throwing an arm around the taller. "Come on, tell ol' Baek what's wrong." 

The giant paused for a moment, unsure of what to tell the smaller boy. Xiumin's words rung through his head, but if Chanyeol couldn't trust Baekhyun, who  _could_  he trust?

"Who's Boxian?"

Baekhyun paused. 

"Where did you hear that name?" 

"When I got lost in the forest. I met someone there, his name was Kai. Do you know him?"

"I told you to be careful around the forest, Yeol. Bad things live there." 

"I don't think he was bad, though." 

"Did he hurt you at all?"

"No... But-" Chanyeol paused.

"But? But what?"

The giant sighed. "He grabbed me, and... everything faded. The forest, the colour, everything."

The small boy stayed silent for a moment. 

"Who's Boxian, Baekhyun?" 

"Don't trust them," the small boy said with an air of finality as if he were done discussing the topic. "Don't trust anything they say." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They lie together side by side that night. 

The room is quiet, save for the occasional breeze that would blow through the half-opened window across the room and the soft chirps of crickets outside the window. The lights were dim, their chests rising and falling at a steady, synced pace. 

Baekhyun was fast asleep, despite it being quite early in the night, curled up into a ball of blankets on the opposite side of the bed, leaving Chanyeol sprawled out on the adjacent side, barely covered in sheets as he stared up at the ceiling. His thoughts were racing a mile a minute, barely allowing him the peace of mind to drift off into slumber. He could feel the small boy shift beside him, the giant closing his eyes as he felt the bed shift under him. 

The small boy's steps were quiet as his feet met with the wood flooring, though still audible in the quiet of the room. Chanyeol could hear the soft creak of the large bedroom doors opening, bright light spilling in from the outside as the small boy slipped through the small crack in the door. 

The giant's brows furrowed for a moment, wondering where Baekhyun had gone off to. He sat upright on the bed, flinging his own long legs off the edge as he got to his feet, cautiously opening the door for himself and sneaking out. 

He hadn't left much later than the smaller had but found himself alone in the long hallway of the castle. He took a wary step forward, unsure of where to go before ducking back into the bedroom as he heard furious footsteps approaching. He peered through a small crack in the door just in time to see a telltale mop of blonde hair pass by in a rush. 

The giant tilted his head in curiosity, stepping out of the room and following the small boy with soft steps through the winding halls. He paused as he saw Suho stop in front of a large set of oak doors, evening out his breathing before pushing the door open. 

Chanyeol snuck closer, trying his best to peer into the room without being noticed through the door left haphazardly open. 

"My King..." Suho began shakily, still a little out of breath from his run to the room. 

"What is it?" Baekhyun asked, voice ringing through the quiet air. The giant couldn't see the smaller in the room, but his voice was easily discernable, though his tone was much sterner than anything Chanyeol was used to. 

"It's about Chanyeol." 

The giant jumped a bit at the mention of his name, leaning in a little further to listen better.

"H-He met Kai."

Baekhyun scoffed. "You think I don't already know that? He came to me earlier asking about Boxian. What am I supposed to tell him, Suho?"

"Ah... I-"

"Send guards to patrol the forest. Find Kai. Make sure the rest of them know what happens to those who speak of these things."

"But my King-"

"We can't have another incident like this happening because the Praeteritus think it's okay because-"

"My King, is something wrong?"

Baekhyun sighed. "I'm... I'm just worried about Chanyeol. I don't want anything bad happening to him. If something were to happen to him-"

"I'll secure the perimeter now. You should get to bed before Chanyeol realises you're gone and starts to worry." 

Baekhyun nodded. "Alright. Good night, Suho. I'll see you in the morning." the boy yawned as he approached the large doors. 

"Wait," Suho said softly, stopping the King in his tracks. "If you're going to... If you do anything with Chanyeol, be sure to do it quickly. I fear for what may happen if you don't act quickly."

"I will," Baekhyun said softly. 

Chanyeol backed away slowly from the doors as Baekhyun came closer, turning on his heels and running quietly on his toes to settle back into the bed before Baekhyun could even realise he left. 

His heart was thumping out of his chest by the time he jumped back into the bed, closing his eyes and willing his heart to slow its rapid beating as Baekhyun returned to the room, opening and closing the door cautiously before returning to his place on the bed, curling in on himself and falling back asleep. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol sighs as he leans against the headboard on their shared bed. The small boy is still asleep next to him, the early morning light just beginning to stream in through the curtains. 

He looked down at the sleeping face of the small boy, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear as Baekhyun nuzzled closer into Chanyeol's side. 

Maybe Baekhyun wouldn't tell him the truth, but Chanyeol trusted that he would tell him when it was time. 

Maybe Baekhyun wouldn't tell him the truth, but Chanyeol trusted him. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The subway train came to life under his feet, speeding forward as he held onto a rail to keep himself steady. It was almost silent, save for the occasional shuffling when someone tried to readjust their bag and a series of taps as children clicked their shoes together. 

Chanyeol leant his head against the railing he was holding onto, thoughts racing a mile a minute. 

He tapped his foot impatiently, the train not moving nearly as quickly as he would have liked, wanting to see Baekhyun again. 

It took a long while for the giant to be able to ignore Xiumin's words, knowing in his heart that he could surely trust Baekhyun. The King had been nothing but amazing to him, loving, kind, and caring. Of course, he could be trusted.

Chanyeol sighed, slumping his shoulders, trying to shake the uncertainty out of his thoughts as he left the train. 

He believed in Baekhyun. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol found the smaller in the amphitheatre, kicking his legs out at the bottom steps as he stared at his hands in his lap. Even from a distance, it was clear Baekhyun was wearing an old sweater that Chanyeol had brought from his home a few weeks back, looking even smaller in the oversized garment. Chanyeol grinned as he called out Baekhyun's name, the latter springing to his feet and turning around with is hands behind his back has the giant approached. 

"I got you something," Baekhyun said. "I'll give it to you, but you have to promise you won't peek, okay?"

The giant smiled. "Should I be scared?"

The small boy gave him a mischevious smile in return. "Maybe."

"What is it?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Aw, come on, Baek."

"It'll ruin the surprise. Now shut up and close your eyes, you giant."

The taller closed his eyes with a light chuckle.

"Okay, okay, they're closed."

"They'd better be. Now bend down," Baekhyun said, walking around the giant who complied with his wishes. Chanyeol could feel something cool snake around his neck. He jumped a bit at the sensation, relaxing once the small boy's hands rested on his shoulders. 

"Okay, you can open them now." 

The giant opened his eyes, hands moving to his throat where a small necklace now sat, fiddling with the small charm at the end in the shape of a treble clef. 

"Because you're like the music in my life," the small boy said quietly, a light blush tinting his cheeks. 

"You're so cheesy," Chanyeol replied, smiling nonetheless. He swept down to give the boy a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Baek." the giant said, lacing his fingers between the smaller's as they walked up the steps and into the town. 

Things had quickly gone back to normal since their last conversation, leaving Chanyeol to wonder if any of it had even happened, or if Kai was just some strange hallucination he had experienced. 

Still... everything that had happened in the forest had seemed too vivid to be a hallucination. 

Their intertwined hands swung back and forth as they walked through the town's streets, quickly arriving at Xiumin and Chen's small home. Baekhyun knocked on the door, the same rhythm that was becoming familiar to Chanyeol, before it swung open, revealing a beaming Chen. 

"Baek!" he exclaimed, enveloping his friend in a hug. "It's been long enough, ya lil-"

"I missed you too, Chen," the boy said through laughs as the couple entered the house. 

"What're ya doin' here today?"

"I actually came here to see you."

"Aw, the almighty King found time for an ol' friend? How touchin'." 

The boy smiled, turning back to the giant. "I'll only be a minute," he said quietly before slipping his hand out of Chanyeol's larger one, the pair entering the den and leaving the giant standing alone by the door. 

"What are you doing here?" a voice hissed softly, Chanyeol jumping as Xiumin approached him with quiet steps. 

"Ah... Baekhyun wanted to come talk with Chen-"

"Not in my house, I mean in the Somnium. I told you-" Xiumin began before sighing, quickly scanning the surroundings. "Just follow me," he said after a moment, racing up the stairs with a giant in tow. They stop in the first bedroom on the second floor, the small boy closing it after Chanyeol. 

"I told you not to come back," he said, no longer in his hushed tone. "I told you it's not safe here."

"I don't know what you're talking about. This place is perfect."

"That's what they want you to think, Chanyeol." 

"You don't know what you're saying. I'm going downstairs, Xiumin."

"You need to listen to me, Chanyeol, this isn't-"

"You're wasting your own time if you think you can talk me out of staying here."

"Chanyeol-"

"I'm sorry, Xiumin. Baekhyun's waiting for me."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It happens in the middle of the night.

Chanyeol's in that blissful state in between dreaming and consciousness, almost gone into a land of his own fantasies, but still able to feel the small boy next to him. Baekhyun smells like his usual mixture of sandalwood and lavender, a scent almost as beautiful as the one that carried it. 

If he were more aware, he might have noticed a lack of sound coming from the smaller, an absence in Baekhyun's usual whimpers and yips that had once kept the giant up, but had, more often than not, ended up becoming white noise that helped lull him to sleep. 

If he were more aware, he might have noticed the constant shifting coming from the other's side of the bed, the lack of warmth where Baekhyun would always lay. 

If he were more aware, he might have noticed the stiffness in his limbs, the inability to move them from their place where they lay above his head. 

But he wasn't more aware.

Chanyeol's eyes shot open in a moment of consciousness, watching as a dark figure straddled him, hunched over with their cold fingers tracing Chanyeol's torso. The giant moved to throw the body off of him, to scream for help, but found himself too weak. 

"Oh, Yeol..." Baekhyun's soft voice echoed in the room. "Don't worry my love, it'll be okay," he said, stroking the side of the tall boy's face before cupping his cheek, leaning down to capture his lips in a kiss.

"My dear, sweet Chanyeol..." 

Chanyeol let his eyes flutter close in a moment of bliss. He always thought his name sounded the most beautiful when it came from Baekhyun's lips. His heart thumped against his chest before he gasped, searing pain tearing into his side. Baekhyun straightened his back, looking back down at the defenceless giant. 

"You should have listened to Xiumin," he said, tone void of all warmth it had once held. 

"B-Baek-" the giant managed to wheeze out. "W-Why-"

The small boy looked down at him expectantly. "Take a guess, my love," he said, punctuating the sentence by holding onto the handle of the knife in Chanyeol's side and tugging downwards roughly, causing tears to run down the giant's face. 

"I'm a bored King with all the power in this world. I need to find  _some_  way to pass the time," he said with a sick grin, ripping the knife across his stomach until it bled black, the colour flowing steadily out of him, burning marks into his skin as the colour faded from Chanyeol's vision. 

"I- I- I- I th-thought-"

"Thought I loved you?" Baekhyun finished quietly, pulling out the knife and rising off of Chanyeol and taking dramatic steps around his bed. "I suppose I did, for some time," he mused, inspecting the jet black blade, spinning it around in his hands. "But you could say the same for any one of the people I've lured. Sorry to say, but you're not my first, and you won't be my last."

"W-What?"

"Boxian was the name I used to go by, but Suho thought that Baekhyun had more of a local ring to it."

"S-S-Su-Suho?"

"Oh, of course. I really don't know what I'd do without him. Suho handles these things around here. He distributes the tickets to those living unfulfilling lives, and together, we orchestrate it all. This world is an act, and I must really thank you for being the perfect audience."

"X-X-Xiu-"

Baekhyun gave him a smile. "Xiumin isn't a part of our little operation. He got a little too curious a few years back and stumbled in on something he shouldn't have. We exchanged his silence for Chen's safety. That sweet idiot doesn't have a clue about what goes on behind closed doors, and he never will. I told you, Xiumin would do most  _anything_  for Chen."

"Y-You..."

"It's a little game we play. Xiumin always gets a little too attached to my guests and tries to convince them to leave," Baekhyun says with a soft chuckle. "Of course, they never do. It's cute really, seeing him beg them to leave because they're all too lovestruck to realise what's really going on."

The King sighed as he circled the bed, climbing onto his side and kneeling in front of the incapacitated boy. "Between you and me, I wish some of them would hold out for a bit longer. You're are all too predictable. You fall too easily, you trust too easily. I need a challenge... I need someone like Sehun back here. He's the one person that's ever been able to escape. Now  _he_  was fun. For a while, I was hoping you'd be like him. I guess I was wrong." 

"M-m-mon-s-ster."

"I guess you could say that. I mean, I did feel pretty guilty after the first one- I mean, I had never meant to hurt him like that, but... when I saw all that beautiful black pouring out of his body... I was addicted." Baekhyun sighed wistfully, 

"It took a lot longer than I'd thought for people to grow wary of my paradise, so I needed a change of location. And then I found you, my love. My dear, _stupid_ love," he said as he plunged a hand into the gash on the tall boy's stomach. Chanyeol found the energy to thrash weakly in pain as Baekhyun dug around, pulling harder and harder until the tall boy felt his heart stop beating for a moment. 

His eyelids drooped, colour gone from the world. 

"Ah, there it is," the small boy said, holding it up triumphantly. The object throbbed weakly in Baekhyun's hold, the small boy quickly getting it off the bed and handing it off to Suho, waiting unnoticed by the door. 

"It's an art form, really. Your souls are so delicate," he breathed before turning to Suho. "Careful with this one. Can't have anything happening to them before they have the chance to join my collection, now can I?"

Baekhyun sighed, brushing the non-existent dust from his pants as he approached the boy on the bed. 

"Well, this was fun while it lasted. Thanks for the memories, my love," he said with a quick peck on the lips. "It's just a shame nothing else came out of this," he sighed as he straightened out. 

"You can take him away now. I'm done with him." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There wasn't much Chanyeol could remember before he was brought into the forest. 

The trees were tall, towering over him threateningly, their bark grey and dark. Chanyeol hobbled through the forest, legs feeling like they were made of lead. Each step took every bit of strength the boy could muster, body leant over as his hands clutched at his stomach where the intricate mess of black lines began on his body. 

He wheezed as he trudged forward, almost falling over as he continued. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his blurry vision as he stumbled, looking for something, anything to right himself. 

He was a lost soul, his voice unheard, blended into the white noise of the world around him, every sound fading into the moment. He wandered around aimlessly, rubbing at his eyes and trying to find something, _anything_  that would bring the colour back into his life. 

But no matter how much he tried, it never worked.

Everything was grey. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> originally posted [here](http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1193767/)  
> this fic was a lot of 3am writing and procrastination on schoolwork, but I'm relatively happy with how it came out ┐(・。・┐) ♪  
> hope you enjoyed it enough to make it this far gosh


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